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AIBU?

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Original poster

GETTING UPSET OVER A WASP???

296 replies

Flavourofthemonth123 · 01/01/2019 04:49

So I was over at a friend's house today with our two LO's this afternoon for a lil New Year's celebration (mostly for them, I find new years a bit naff). We were sitting there and all of a sudden a wasp flew at her child (I was mostly shocked to see one in December!) I swatted it down on the floor and stepped on the bastard (it was on the kitchen tiles, so no squishy bug remains mushed into the carpet.) She was a little bit upset that I squashed the wasp in front of her child, saying she doesn't condone killing bugs. I said that a wasp is different from a spider or a snail because they can sting the LO's (I also squash other bugs lol but that's not the point!)

It wasn't a huge deal but I was just surprised at her reaction! Am I alone in thinking that getting upset over a dead wasp is a bit unreasonable? If there was one hoovering around your little one would you hesitate to smoosh him??

OP posts:
Bambamber · 01/01/2019 08:37

Wasps generally don't sting if you don't piss them off (although there's always an exception). I think it's unnecessary to kill them and I wouldn't be too happy if someone killed one in front of me or my child.

Just because insects are smaller than you it doesn't mean they deserve to die

cariadlet · 01/01/2019 08:38

If you'd managed to swat it onto the floor you might have been able to catch it in a glass like you do with spiders - or at least been able to swat it outside.

I would have been upset if you'd stepped on an insect in front of my child.

That would have upset me. Deliberately killing things like that is rather vile, especially around children.
Very cavalier of you to say "smoosh". I can see what kind of person you are right there

^^ this

planespotting · 01/01/2019 08:38

We don't kill wasps, we move them.i would have been upset too

MereDintofPandiculation · 01/01/2019 08:40

Really encouraged by the number of people on this thread who wouldn't kill a wasp. I wish people weren't so keen on killing spiders.

Lucisky · 01/01/2019 08:42

It must have been a queen. We sometimes get them in the house in winter when they come in hidden in logs from the wood pile.
I would have no compunction in killing it either. Hate the bloody things. They are dozy and slow moving at this time of year and less likely to move away. I have been stung 3 times by disturbed winter queens, once on my bare arse while siting on the loo. Still can't work out how that got there!
If you'd put it out it would have died anyway.

Littlepond · 01/01/2019 08:42

Nope. We try not to kill living creatures. And I am terrified of wasps.

planespotting · 01/01/2019 08:45

I wish people weren't so keen on killing spiders.
Me too
I think more and more we are becoming a bit less inclined to this though.
I was scared of spiders because people always talked badly about them but I am ok now and I don't kill either. I am trying to teach DC that they are lovely things and not to be scared

fruitpastille · 01/01/2019 08:47

We have had a wasps nest this year. I've killed dozens of the fuckers.

FortunesFave · 01/01/2019 08:48

I can't stand killing things. Even wasps. I get upset too.

PinkFizzz · 01/01/2019 08:48

I fucking hate wasps, I can't remain calm around them the way PPs are suggesting, I'm terrified of them.

I've never killed one because if I see one, I just start running Grin

I don't think what you did was that bad.

Ruffina · 01/01/2019 08:52

What would those who don’t kill insects do with a wasps or hornets nest? Or an ant invasion? Or an infestation of fleas or bed bugs?

Does this impressive concern for all forms of life vanish when things get a bit uncomfortable?

sheldonstwin · 01/01/2019 08:53

I'm another who would not kill any insect. And I also hate that 'I'm a celebrity' where I think the viewer is supposed to find it funny that insects are being harmed so that 'celebrities' can eat them while we all laugh.

GummyGoddess · 01/01/2019 08:54

I'd try and catch it to get it outside in the summer. However it's winter and getting it outside would kill it in a slower way than squashing it, so it would be vacuumed up.

With spiders, if it's a house spider then yes it will be killed as putting it outside will lead to a slower death. The cellar spiders can stay in but not house spiders.

GruciusMalfoy · 01/01/2019 08:56

I hate wasps being around me, but I open a window and leave try and direct them out. I don't see the need to kill one.

beerandchocolate · 01/01/2019 08:56

I woudn't have killed it. I've never been stung by a wasp, I ignore them and they go away.

I don't want my children to learn that it is okay to casually kill living creatures.

SoupDragon · 01/01/2019 08:57

I assume all the "I would never kill an insect" posters are all vegan.

Believeitornot · 01/01/2019 08:58

A wasp isn’t going to outside in the winter. If you put it out it dies anyway so you’re still killing it.

So what do you do....?

PookieDo · 01/01/2019 08:59

Im a last resort insect killer. I don’t like killing them as I don’t like clearing up their tiny corpses. If I cannot get rid of it and cannot leave it to go away on its own I may consider killing it but I probably wouldn’t

I once had a hornet in my bedroom it was there for 3 days and I basically moved out of my bedroom I am very scared of them

beerandchocolate · 01/01/2019 08:59

What would those who don’t kill insects do with a wasps or hornets nest? Or an ant invasion? Or an infestation of fleas or bed bugs?

There's a big difference between killing something which is actively causing a threat or being a serious pest, and there is no other way to get rid of it, and killing something which is doing no harm whatsoever but just happens to have momentarily come within into your proximity.

medusa83 · 01/01/2019 09:01

I don't kill individual ones, but we do suffer from occasional wasps' nests in our wall cavities and then the insecticide comes out.

I walked into my bathroom one morning - and there must have been about 1000 in there. I'd like to see the "I'd never kill anything" posters deal with that!

PookieDo · 01/01/2019 09:02

My Dsis had a wasp nest like that. In those cases you let a professional deal with it!

GummyGoddess · 01/01/2019 09:02

So you all leave them in the house in winter? Or admit that you are killing them by putting them outside to freeze or starve to death?

DickTurpinsHat · 01/01/2019 09:04

You wbu to kill a wasp but you were even more unreasonable to use 'lil', that makes me quite ragey.

Sinisers · 01/01/2019 09:05

Stop eating meat you hypocrits

RelativePitch · 01/01/2019 09:06

My DM has been stung by sleepy winter queens in the past and my poor niece last Christmas had one in her pyjama top and got stung three times. You absolutely did the right thing. Hate the things.